Woodworking Project

I spent a little time today and yesterday with my father and his woodworking tools.  Here is the result.

It's for doing this:

 

Not the prettiest thing in the world, but it really does feel satisfying to make something with materials outside of my comfort zone (which would be fabric and food).  It's called a stitching pony and holds leather while you hand sew seated in a chair.  I can now stitch and watch all the videos I want.  Squee!  Also, this means that leather chef knife bags and other soon to be revealed items will be added to the shop even faster.  Double squee!

New Tags

All Beef & Lamb bags now feature a custom, unique tag.  They are an all-metal clip that is installed on the edge of the bag's front flap, near the buckle strap.  One side features the Beef & Lamb name, the other is a number identifying your unique bag.  I think they're pretty sweet. 

Bags already in the shop have been updated with new pictures and info in the listing.

Leather Work in Progress

The leather bags are a work in progress but are moving forward steadily.  I will have some finished bags in my shop shortly for you to see.  In the meantime, to better give you an idea of how my leather swatches are morphing into bags, here are a few shots of each of the leathers on their way to being the Stage roll-style chef knife bag.

 From top to bottom: Mocha, Carbon, Dark Chocolate, British Tan Vecchio, Saddle Tan.  You can see how each of the leathers folds differently because of their different thicknesses and bodies.

 Mocha Closeup:  Nubuck surface texture is very fine, soft and subtle.  I brushed my hand on the area in the lower right corner of the photo to change the texture and color ever so slightly.

 Carbon Closeup: Almost black, this leather is also very soft but with a natural grain finish, the texture of Carbon varies slightly.  The area near the zipper  is extreme and very rare on this leather, but makes for nice contrast.  Note: the closeup photo is more color accurate on my screen than the group pictures.

 Dark Chocolate Suede Closeup: A pure dark brown, this is a classic and sturdy suede that is very uniform.

 British Tan Vecchio Closeup: This is a classic pullup leather that changes character when is is folded and bent.  Shiny and slick, it always looks sharp and polished.

Saddle Tan Closeup: This deer-tanned cowhide is super soft and relaxed looking.  This is a shot of the bag I have personally been using and although it is relatively young, it already looks broken in with lots of character. 

Cyclists Chefs

Two of my favorite things.  I think this sling solves a lot of issues those cycling to work and carrying chef knives face.  This sling backpack style bag has just enough space for three knives or tools and maybe some clothes to change into. 

 Like the rest of my bags, it opens up flat for ease of use.  There are three 3" wide knife/tool slots that get covered by a piece of felt, then rolled up and tied for security.

The bag zips up the sides and buckles over the top.  A single adjustable strap spans across the front of the chest.  The whole bag measures about 12" wide at the base, 6" wide at the top and is about 18" long (which spans the diagonal of your back).  Lightweight and small, it fits snugly on your back.  My idea of cycling perfection. But more importantly, what do YOU think?

Bags for Sale!

Check out what's in my shop.

More will be added soon!

Materials Preview: Hardware

I am busy today getting Etsy postings ready.  I will have six bags up for sale by the end of today, if not tomorrow.  Exciting!  Of course I will post here once they go up.  Until then, here are some quick details on the hardware I am using.  I have three colors: Antique Brass, Gun Metal and Nickel.

The Antique Brass hardware set includes a rounded center bar buckle for bag closures, d-rings for straps and ring rivets or flat capped rivets for reinforcing stress points.  The backsides of the Antique Brass rivets look different than the front side (a small hole). 

The Gun Metal hardware set includes a rounded center bar buckle for bag closures, double loops for straps and double capped rivets for reinforcing stress points.  Both sides of the Gun Metal rivets look the same.


The Nickel hardware set includes a square center bar buckle for bag closures, double loops for straps and double capped rivets for reinforcing stress points.  Both sides of the Ncikel rivets look the same.

With three options for hardware, three styles of bags and all of the felt and leather choices the combinations are almost endless. 

Materials Preview: Leathers

The first round of Mushroom & Charcoal felt bags is about to be posted in my Etsy Store and the leather will follow soon after that, so i thought I would give you a little preview of the five leathers I have available now.

From left to right and top to bottom, Saddle Tan, Soft Black, Mocha Brown, British Tan Vecchio and Dark Chocolate Suede.  All are cowhides and they each have their own unique characteristics which will reflect in the style each bag develops.  They have been arranged in order of softness, from more drapey to very structured.  Bags made out of the Saddle Tan or Soft Black will be more relaxed and casual looking while bags made out of the British Tan Vecchio or Dark Chocolate Suede will have lots more structure and polish.  The Mocha Brown seems to be the perfect middle road between the two groups.

Next I will get you a preview of my hardware selection.  Time for me to get back to work, I have bags to produce!